Jesse l



(No Model.)

J. L. HIN'DS. ELECTRIC SWITCH.

No. 511,240. r Patented Dec. 19, 1893.

PATENT rricn.

JESSE L. HINDS, OF SYRAOUSH'NEW' YORK, ASSIGNOR. TO THE ELECTRIC ENGINEERING AND SUPPLY COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRlC SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 511,240, dated December 19, 1893.

Application filed November 27, 1891. Serial No. 413,165. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J EssE L. HINDS, of Syra cuse, in the county of Onondaga,in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electric Switches, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to a new and useful :0 electric switch of the same general character as that shown in my pending application, Serial No. 400,501, filed July 23, 1891, and has for its object the production of a simple, economical and practical device, which is strong, durable and effective.

To this end it consists, essentially, in a base plate provided with a groove, a pair of termi nals mounted on the base plate, a spring for breaking and closing the circuit between the terminals having one end adapted to be fixed to one terminal and the other movable toward and away from the other terminal, a lug on the fixed end of said spring adaptedto register withthe groove in 'the base plate, a cam for 2 5 forcing the movableextremityof the spring toward the adjacent termifial, and a shoulder provided on the cam just above the spring for preventing the same from upward movement and retaining the lug in said recess.

The invention furthermore consists in the detail construct-ion and arrangement of the parts, all as hereinafter more particularly described and pointed out in the claims.

In describing this-invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawings, forming.

a part of this specification,in which like letters indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figures 1 and 52 are top plan views of my improved switch, representing the circuit as broken at Fig. 1 and closed at Fig. 2. Fig. 3

is an elevation of the parts as shown at Figs. l and 2. Fig. t is a transverse sectional view,

taken on line -44.-, Fig. 2. Fig.5 is a detail sectional view for illustrating the groove or recess in the base plate and the construction of the movable spring. Fig. 6 is a perspective of the base plate further illustrating thearrangement of grooves or recesses in the top face thereof. Fig. 7 is a perspective of the detached spring. Fig. 8 is a perspective terminals preferably arranged in two pairs for two separate electric currents. These terminals are of similar construction, are formed with a central chamber for the reception of the wire w, which is held therein by a screw w', and are each composed of a head .-b projecting above the top face of the base plate, a shank -l)'- inserted into an aperture a' in the base plate and adapted to be in position by nuts Oscrewing thereupon. The inner face of one of the terminals of each pair is cu away and thereby formed with an outwardly inclining face b The. spring,--D- for breaking and closing the circuit consists of a flexible plate caving one end provided with an e ved-fixed to one of the terminals and the other with an inclin- 8o ing engaging end d adapted to be brought into contact with the inclining face h of the adjacent terminal. The spring -D-- may be held fixed by the screw -w for securing the wire wto the terminal to which said spring is adapted to be fixed, and in that case, as shown in the drawings, the screw is passed through an opening 02 in the wall of the. eye -cZ-- and then through the head b of the terminal. I do not, however, 0 prefer to rely on this means of securing the spring to its carrying terminal, but provide said spring, as best shown at Figs. 5 and 7, with a lug D- adapted to enter one of the grooves or recesses aa in the base plate. 5 It will be readily understood that the rela tive arrangement of the grooves -a -adetermines the exact position of the spring, and, when, as shown in the drawings, one of the screws-'wis passed through the eye of ICC the spring, brings the opening EZ2 in said eye into registration with the corresponding for most purposes would serve as the sole securement, although I prefer to additionally secure said spring by the screw w' as previously described.

--E is the cam for engaging the central portion of the springs D and forcing their free extremities into contact with the corresponding terminals, said cam being formed of greater length in one plane than the plane at right angles thereto in order that when the same is in the position illustrated at Fig. 1, the free ends of the springs may be forced by the resiliency thereof a suflicient distance from the adjacent terminal to insure breakage of the electric circuit. The cam E is preferably provided with a shoulder --earranged just above the springs D-- and adapted to bear upon the upper edges thereof as best seen at Figs. 3 and 4 for preventing upward movement of the springs and consequent disengagement'of the lugs D'- from the recesses --a. The cam is actuated by a suitable spindle F connected thereto with a slight lost motion being here shown as efiected by providing the spindle with lugs f adapted to be registered with a groove -ein the top face of the cam and formed of considerably less diameter than the width of said groove.

The spindle is supported in any suitable construction of bracket -G--. Its lower end f'-- is preferably passed into an aperture o.* in the base plate and its upper end is provided with a porcelain or OtllGPnOD-OOII- ductor hand-piece F', which may be suitably secured thereto.

The preferable means of securing the handpiece consists, as best shown in Fig. 4, in a lug engaged with a recess -fin the inner face of the end piece and a screw f having its shank adapted to screw into the upper end of the spindle and its head adapted to rest upon the depressed shoulder of the socket opening inwardly from the outer face of the hand-piece. The bracket -G- may also be of desirable form, size and construction,but is preferably formed -U shaped and its opposite legs are disposed between the separate terminals of the respective pairs of terminals and are formed with feet gsecured by screws or other clamps g' to the base plate. The central portion -G of the bracket is disposed just above the top face of the cam E-, which is thereby prevented from upward movement, and, as previously stated, the shoulder --e-- on the cam prevents thesprings D from upward movement. I

The operation of my invention will be readily perceived from the foregoing description and upon reference to the drawings; it will be noted that the parts are readily and economically cast or stamped to the -required form, are cheaply assembled, and produce a strong, durable, efiective, and practical electric switch.

It is evident that the detail construction and arrangement of the parts of my switch may be somewhat varied from that shown and described without departing from the spirit of my invention. Hence I do not limit myself to such precise construction and arrangement.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an electric switch, the combination of a base plate,apair of terminals, a spring having one end engaged with one'terminal and the other adapted to be brought into contact with the other terminal, a cam for engaging said extremity of the spring with said other terminahand a shoulder provided on the cam just above the spring, whereby upward movement of the spring is prevented, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In an electric switch, the combination of a base plate, a -Ushaped bracket having its opposite legs secured to the base plate, a pair of terminals on opposite sides of each leg of said bracket, a pair of springs passed between said bracket legs and arranged with one end secured to one terminal of the respective pairs and the other adapted to be brought into contact with-the other terminal of said pairs, a cam for engaging said extremity of the spring with the said other terminal, and a shoulder provided on said cam just above said spring and beneath said bracket, whereby the springs and cam are prevented from upward movement, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In an electric switch, the combination of a base plate having a groove or recess therein, a pair of terminals upon the base plate,a movable spring for breaking and closing the circuit between the terminals, having an eye mounted on one of the terminals a'lugon one extremity of said spring mounted in said groove or recess for preventing said extremity from movement, a cam for moving-the op- ITO posite end of the spring to break and close ity from movement, aeam for moving the opposite end of the spring to break and close the circuit, and a shoulder provided on said cam just above said spring, whereby upward movement of the spring is prevented and the leg is retained in said recess or groove, substantially as described.

5. In an electric switch, the combination of the base plate formed with a pair of grooves or recesses in its face, a U shaped bracket having its opposite legs secured to the base plate, a pair of terminals on opposite sides of each leg of said bracket, a pair of springs passed between said bracket legs each having one end provided with an eye mounted on one terminal of the respective pairs and the other end adapted to be brought into contact with the other terminal of said pairs, lugs on the registered with thegroove or recess in the base plate, and a cam for moving the opposite end of the spring into engagement with the other terminal, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

7. In an electric switch, the combinationof a base plate having a pair of grooves therein, a bracket secured to the base plate, two pair of terminals upon the base plate, a pa r of springs each having an eye at one end secured to one terminal of the respective pairs and having the opposite end adapted to be brought into contact with the other terminal of said pair, lugs on the stationary ends of the springs adapted to be registered with said slots, a cam for breaking and closing the circuit between the terminals, and a shoulder provided on the cam just above the springs for hold ng the lugs in said recesses or grooves, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name, in the presence of two attesting witnesses, at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, this 25th day of November, 1891.

JESSE Ii. HINDS.

\Vitnesses:

- CLARK H. NORTON,

L. M. BAXTER. 

